FROM THE.......
DIRECTOR’S DESK
The process of measurement is of considerable importance in every field
of human activity. However, to be meaningful, measurements must be underpinned
by metrology, the science of measurement. Worldwide, the total input to
metrology is itself huge. This input is shared by the government and industry
sectors of national economies. Governments are becoming increasingly aware
of the economic and social advantages of having an effective national
measurement system and, of the importance of such a system as a tool for
industrial competitiveness. Non-uniformity in measurement, testing and
product certification has become recognized as one of the major technical
barriers to trade. As a result trade agreements between nations and regions,
now specifically require all signatories to recognize the result of measurements
and tests performed by the trading parties (The theme for World Standards
Day 2002 - “One standard, One test, Accepted everywhere” is
based on Conformity Assessment). This policy is supported by the WTO and
will have major implications on national, regional and international measurement
systems. Today, the movement of our society to higher technology is accelerating
and brings with it the need for a wide range of new and complex measurements
in fields such as medicine, environmental protection and food and drug
evaluation, which demand more reliable metrology in the physical sciences
– chemistry, biology, physics and engineering. National metrology
systems especially here in the Caribbean are far from satisfying these
needs and in order to keep pace, many new undertakings are required. Many
companies are engaged in international trade and international co-manufacture
of products has become commonplace. Environmental pollution problems often
extend beyond national boundaries, and the list goes on. Governments have
over the years enacted a considerable number of laws and regulations that
require reliable measurement systems for effective implementation. The
term “legal metrology” is used to cover this field of interaction
between laws/regulations and measurement. Legal metrology originated from
the need to ensure fair trade and provide consumer protection and is still
mainly focussed in these areas. However, developments worldwide have led
to the enactment of new laws and regulations and most importantly to a
broadening of legal metrology to protect society in areas such as health,
safety, commerce, agriculture and the environment. Measurements are never
perfectly accurate, as a number of potential source of errors (human and
mechanical) combine to give some degree of uncertainty to the final result.
The accepted level of uncertainty varies considerably, depending on the
application of the measurement: Measurement in the manufacture and use
of micro chips would require a much lower uncertainty (higher accuracy)
than retail measurements in the public market place.
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